Most Dutch people (76 percent) brush their teeth at least twice a day. 22 percent brush once a day, and two percent do not brush daily. This is according to new figures from the RIVM Oral Health Monitor. How often people brush their teeth and clean between teeth and molars is related to visits to the dentist or dental hygienist. People who reported brushing their teeth twice a day or more often visit oral healthcare providers more frequently than those who brush once a day or not every day.
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Furthermore, people who brush their teeth twice a day or more often experience their oral health more often as (very) good (76%) than people who brush once a day (63%) or not every day (39%). People who do not brush daily reported twice as often tooth or molar pain as people who brush twice a day or more. Also, people who visited oral healthcare providers in the past year reported tooth or molar pain more often than those who did not go. A possible reason for this is that people go more often because of the pain.
Visits to dentist or dental hygienist
Most Dutch people (84 percent) visited an oral healthcare provider in the past year. People who visited the dentist or dental hygienist more often reported (very) good oral health than those who did not go. They also more often have twenty or more real teeth and molars.
Income and education
This research also shows that people with a higher income and people with a hbo higher professional education (higher professional education) or university education experience (very) good oral health more often than people with a lower income or people with primary education, a vmbo – or mbo secondary vocational education (secondary vocational education) 1 education. They also more often have twenty or more teeth and molars, less often wear dentures, and visit oral healthcare providers more often. People with a lower income more often indicated that they did not visit oral healthcare providers because they found it too expensive.
About the Oral Health Monitor
Since 2023, the RIVM has been monitoring oral health on behalf of the Ministry of VWS Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport). The ministry requested the RIVM to do this because there was no structural information about oral health in the Netherlands. The monitor is still under development. Next year, information will be collected about, among other things, the number of cavities and fillings in teeth and gum problems. On the website VZinfo.nl, all figures on oral health (external link) are listed.
